Dean Richards, entertainment reporter for WGN, joins Wendy Snyder (in for Bob Sirott) to provide the latest news in entertainment. Wendy and Dean talk about the death of Chris Rea and Barry Manilow’s lung cancer diagnosis. They also share details about the running times for the rest of the “Stranger Things” episodes and a new Barbie book.

Author Robert Schaffner and Debbie Simmonds, wife of Savoy Brown founder Kim Simmonds, joins Wendy Snyder (in for Bob Sirott) to talk about how Kim Simmonds was inspired to become a musician and how he formed Savoy Brown. They also discuss their popularity in the states and where you can preorder Street Corner Talking.

Paul Nolte, Senior Wealth Advisor & Market Strategist for Murphy & Sylvest, joins Wendy Snyder (in for Bob Sirott) to talk about why it’s important to keep track of your 401(k) and what clients of different ages should be doing to grow it. He also shares updates on unemployment numbers and retail sales.

Tanner Mitchell, known as Tanner the Planter on social media, joins Wendy Snyder (in for Bob Sirott) to talk about how taking care of plants is different depending on the time of year, even if you have indoor plants. He also explains what you should do if you overwater your plant and the number one mistake people make with their plants during the winter months.

Jen Sabella, the Director of Strategy and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Wendy Snyder (in for Bob Sirott) to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. She provides details on:

3,000+ Cheese Grater Hats Sold After Bears Shred Packers, ‘A Christmas Miracle’ For Hat Company: Foam Party Hats started selling the grater caps after the Packers sent him a cease-and-desist for his cheese hat. Chicagoans have been ordering hundreds of them after Bears star Caleb Williams and DJ Moore wore one after defeating the Packers.

El Nopal Bakery And Its Famous Cookies Find A Home Again At Chicago History Museum: The long-gone bakery, a hub in Pilsen and Little Village, is featured in the museum’s “Aqui en Chicago” exhibit — and its signature hojarascas are for sale for Chicagoans to enjoy once again.

Chicago Journalists Swap Bylines For Basslines In New Christmas Album For Charity: The Chicago Media Chorus, a group of local journalists and editors, dropped their first Christmas album this week to raise money for StreetWise and spread holiday cheer.

Block Club’s Neighborhood Print Subscription Special!: We teamed up with local artist Steve Shanabruch to bring you 75 incredible prints featuring famous Chicago neighborhoods and landmarks all across the city. Check out all of the prints here.

On December 23rd, 2025, Steve Grzanich shares today’s potential market drivers:

Chief Medical Officer of Northwestern Medicine’s Northwest region of hospitals Dr. Irfan Hafiz joins Wendy Snyder (in for Bob Sirott) to talk about a rise in flu cases, the benefits of cutting saturated fats our of your diet, a study that links cheese to a lower dementia risk, and how many hours of sleep we actually need. He also explains what AFib is, the rise in whooping cough cases among kids, and how to manage your mental health during the holidays.

Dean Richards, entertainment reporter for WGN, joins Wendy Snyder (in for Bob Sirott) to provide the latest news in entertainment. Wendy and Dean talk about the latest on the death of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner. They also discuss Bowen Yang’s final skit on SNL and the weekend box office numbers.

Jon Hansen, host and executive producer of the Block Club Chicago Podcast, joins Wendy Snyder (in for Bob Sirott) to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Jon has details on:

City Council Passes 2026 Budget: Here Are The Major Fees And Changes: Mayor Brandon Johnson could still veto the alternative spending plan, which includes a shopping bag tax increase, a new retail liquor fee and a small property tax hike to help fund the public library system.

Austin Artisan Market Planned For Vacant West Side Lot: ‘Our Version Of Christkindlmarket’: Local nonprofit Root2Fruit received $50,000 to jumpstart the open-air market, which is spearheaded and will be owned by young people from Austin.

Humboldt Park Neighbors Push To Save St. Mark Church, Hoping It Won’t Be Demolished For Housing: Neighbors said they want to see the 1890s building saved and turned into a community hub rather than townhomes.

Block Club’s Neighborhood Print Subscription Special!: We teamed up with local artist Steve Shanabruch to bring you 75 incredible prints featuring famous Chicago neighborhoods and landmarks all across the city. Check out all of the prints here.

Artistic director of Cirque Du Soleil’s ‘Twas The Night Before… Nicolas Boivin-Gravel joins Wendy Snyder (in for Bob Sirott) to talk about where the idea for the show came from and some of the characters that make appearances. He also discusses when he first started to juggle and how he became an artistic director for Cirque Du Soleil.